Mascara and other liquid cosmetics are packaged in a bottle having a cap and applicator. The applicator is typically a brush mounted at the end of an applicator rod, with the cap of the bottle providing a handle for the applicator. Other applicators include threaded rods and foam or fabric pads, the latter being particularly useful with other liquid cosmetics, such as perfumes.
The applicator is inserted through the neck of the bottle in order to install the cap and recharge the applicator with cosmetics, and a wiper is provided at the entry opening to the bottle. The wiper functions to control the amount of cosmetics removed from the bottle on the applicator, and also seals against the applicator rod to maintain the cosmetics in the lower part of the bottle.
Many variations of wipers have been used. These include wipers fabricated of buna rubber or neoprene, which are highly flexible and stretchable. Therefore, such wipers provide an excellent sealing function and are well adapted to the wiping function as well; however, the material costs and cost of fabrication are relatively high for this type of wiper. Other wipers have been molded of less expensive low density polyethylene, providing an essentially rigid wiper structure defining a wiper orifice of desired size. Although less expensive, these wipers have generally not achieved good sealing, and are particularly sensitive to tolerance variations in the applicator rod.
Lastly, all wipers experience some difficulty with a buildup of thicker cosmetics, such as mascara, on their under side, where cosmetics accumulate as they are wiped from the applicator as the applicator is removed from the bottle. Improvement in this aspect of cosmetics containers would be desirable. Another difficulty with thinner liquid cosmetics such as perfume is a tendency to run out of the container through the wiper, if the container is spilled when the applicator rod is out.